


hanahaki

by angelic_tylerr



Category: Trench - Twenty One Pilots (Album), Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mild Blood, Vomiting, joshler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25248811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelic_tylerr/pseuds/angelic_tylerr
Summary: tyler suffers from hanahaki disease.(from an au in which flowers grow wherever tyler touches josh. tyler can also make flowers grow on his own skin...)
Relationships: Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	hanahaki

**Author's Note:**

> im posting this for 1 (one) person

  
Hanahaki disease wasn't something very widely discussed in Dema. The presence of it was taboo, and the victim would have been hospitalized for it immediately, in order to have it surgically removed. A suicide was likely to follow shortly afterwards, inspiring a rumor that the procedure caused the inability to feel love ever again.

The cause of the illness was unknown.

Despite it's telltale symptoms, Tyler initially thought he was suffering from a cold. The conditions of Trench weren't exactly favorable, so he found himself getting sick often. It wasn't until he coughed up a blood-spattered yellow rose petal that he realized the severity of his illness.

He'd never coughed up flowers before, though they had the ability to grow rampant around him and on his body. Was it possible they were just growing inside him? But even then, as far as he knew, they never did for Josh. They only blossomed on the outside of his skin.

It terrified him. He didn't want to have it surgically removed, and he didn't want to kill himself because of it either. There was only one person he could think of who would know the cure, but did he dare tell her? What if she didn't have one? What if she tried to remove it, or ordered him to go back to Dema for a painful surgery?

Fear had a habit of paralyzing him. So he kept his ailment hidden, hiding the petals in closed fists and assuring worried friends that he just had a cold again. Until one day, he was retching in the woods far away from anyone else. Hot tears streamed down his face as he choked on the soft bloom in his throat. It felt larger than the rest, and when it eventually came out, he realized why.

It was a whole rose, no longer just a petal. He feared it was starting to get serious.

Surely there was a reason for it, and he definitely did not want to die, so he caved and went to the person who would know best. As their only medicine-woman, Naielly was used to the amount of trust put in her and her treatments, so when a visibly embarrassed Tyler came to her, she made sure to allow him comfort and privacy in her tent.

"Sick again?" she asked, raising a brow. "I don't see mushrooms."

"I, uh..." It struck him then, how raspy his voice was. She wasn't oblivious to it either. "Should I be coughing up flowers? It's never happened before, so, I... I don't know."

"So it wasn't just a cold," she said, a sly grin on her face. "Lay down for me."

Tyler did as he was told, and she pressed her ear to his chest, listening intently. As he breathed in, she heard a light fluttering sound, and a wheeze when he breathed out.

"What kind of flowers?" she asked as she lifted her head.

He sat up, fingers running through his hair. "They're, um, yellow roses."

"Are there thorns?"

"I don't think so."

"And when did you start experiencing symptoms?"

This was the question he was afraid of. He knew the answer 'months' would set her off. She cared deeply for the Banditos' health, and it showed. Suppressing an illness was one way to get on her nerves.

"Tyler?"

"A few weeks... Or months..?"

"Ohh, you stupid boy!" she shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Is there flowers in your brain too? I knew you were hiding something! Tyler, you could die! The flowers can root into your lungs; you will suffocate! Do you want that?"

"N-no!"

"No! Exactly! Do not ever hide your sickness from me again, do you understand me? I will not go so easy on you!"

He didn't consider it going easy, but if it was her version of an act of mercy, he'd take it. "Okay. I'm sorry, Naia."

"You should be," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose before looking at him with a slightly more composed expression. "Who is it?"

"Huh?"

"Who is it, that you have feelings for?" He became increasingly flustered, eyes darting around the tent for something else to focus on. "You suffer from Hanahaki disease. I can't blame you for not understanding the reason. The Bishops never wanted us to know that."

"So, it's because I like someone?"

"Yes," she nodded. "You suffer from one-sided love, dear. If you don't want to tell me, I won't push. But you must confess your feelings, and soon."

She waved her hand to beckon him, then led him outside to her herb garden. A table stood with drying bundles, wrapped neatly with twine and string.

"Make this into tea, it will soothe the pain in the mean time," she explained, handing one of the smaller bundles of peppermint to him. "But you must promise me you will confess. Or else I will have wasted my tea for nothing."

"Why do I have to confess?"

"It will only keep growing if you don't."

He nodded, walking away with the knowledge fresh in his mind. For several days, he treated the soreness with the tea, but it didn't prevent the coughing. Part of him wished it was the cure he was looking for, but he knew better than that.

How was he going to break the news? He could ask Jenna for advice, but she was a girl. What did she know about guys liking other guys? Ugh, just admitting it in his brain made him cringe.

He could ask Jordan, but Jordan was a smart kid. He was also just that, a kid. Tyler didn't even know if Jordan liked men either, so, that idea went out the door.

Josh might know. Tyler couldn't help but laugh at the thought, though it was kind of a good idea. So he went with it, finding Josh laying in the grass by his tent.

"Um, hi."

Josh opened his eyes to see Tyler looming over him, then smiled brightly. "Hey!"

Tyler stood awkwardly for a moment before offering a warm cup, "Tea? It's peppermint."

"Mm," Josh hummed, sitting up and taking the tea. He patted the ground next to him, and Tyler sat down, not too close. "Thanks."

"Mm."

"What's up?"

"Um." Tyler kept the cup close to his face, almost hiding behind it. He wouldn't look at Josh either. "How would you go about... Confessing your love to someone?"

"Hmm. I guess I'd just be honest! Say something like, hey, I think you're an amazing person, and I really like you as more than a friend."

"Oh." Of course Josh would come up with a flawless way to ask someone for romance. Although, when the words came out of Tyler's mouth, he thought it sounded nothing but flawed. "So, um... Josh..?"

Despite Josh's grace, he was quite oblivious, so he just smiled. "Hm?"

"I-I think you're awesome-- I mean, an amazing person, a-and- and..."

It clicked, and Josh started giggling softly. Tyler's voice went raspy as he demanded Josh to stop.

"It-it's not funny--" he whimpered, then started coughing violently. Josh watched as he doubled over, an arm wrapped around his waist as blood spilled out onto the ground. Josh held Tyler's shoulders, supporting his shaking body.

A rose came up, followed by a few stray petals. Tyler was heaving, with tears running down his face.

"Hey, it's okay," Josh whispered, rubbing Tyler's back. "I like you too. I thought you knew."

Tyler shook his head, and Josh pulled Tyler onto his lap, letting his head rest in the crook of his neck. 


End file.
